43 flood insurance claims·$354,630 paid·7 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Graham County, Arizona. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk in Graham County, accounting for 49 recorded events and 1 fatality over the last 30 years compared to just 3 river flood events. Monsoon storms frequently trigger heavy rainfall and hazardous runoff, as occurred during the active convective day on June 20, 2024, when flash flooding and severe wind gusts were observed in the town of Pima. Riverine flooding also occurs from heavy upstream rainfall, such as the August 22, 2022 event when the Gila River flooded at Duncan, closing Highway 70 and causing minor flooding to several homes and businesses, while partially flooding the bridge downstream at Solomon.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones with varying average payouts and recorded water depths. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN recorded 14 claims with an average payout of $6,234 and an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone A recorded 10 claims averaging $7,084 with an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 10 claims averaging $3,943 with an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X recorded 8 claims with a higher average payout of $49,072 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Zone X_SHADED recorded 1 claim averaging $161 with 0 inches of recorded water depth.
Homeowners and real estate agents should pay the most attention to properties located within designated Special Flood Hazard Areas like Zone A, as well as unmapped or unknown zones where historical claims and monsoon-driven flash floods indicate persistent local risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
52% of Graham County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
21 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1978, with 12 claims and $72,343 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
11 NOAA storm reports from Graham County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Arizona flood stories →
13 federal disaster declarations since 1966, 7 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 25, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 10, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Jan 5, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Jul 8, 1990 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 23, 1983 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Dec 21, 1978 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Mar 4, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
52 since 1996: 49 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 20, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Aug 22, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2021 | $5,000 · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2021 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2021 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 20, 2024. The first active convective day of the 2024 monsoon produced several thunderstorms that resulted in strong winds and flash flooding. Notably, a 61 MPH wind gust occurred at Pioneer Airfield at Fort Huachuca and separately, Flash Flooding and severe wind gusts were observed in the town of Pima in Graham County.
Flood · Aug 22, 2022. Heavy rain upstream in New Mexico caused the Gila River to flood at Duncan, where Highway 70 was closed, and several homes and a couple businesses experienced minor flooding. Downstream at Solomon, the bridge was partially flooded.
Flash Flood · Aug 14, 2022. Thunderstorms moved northeast across southeast Arizona during the afternoon and evening. Heavy rain and flash flooding was observed west of Safford and a dust storm moved across southwest Pinal County.
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2021. A number of rounds of thunderstorms were triggered by a westward moving upper level weather system across southeast Arizona from the afternoon of July 22 into the early morning of July 23. Thunderstorms produced wind damage and flash flooding in Douglas, Green Valley and the Tucson Metro area. Flooding also occurred along the San Pedro River as well as the Pantano Wash and Rillito River, and eventually downstream…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Graham County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.